Our friends at allfancydress.com ask why is Cosplay so popular?

A stylish and colourful form of performance art, Cosplay – short for ‘costume play’ – has become an increasingly popular interpretation. Cosplay productions are those in which participants don authentic costumes and accessories to understand the cultural context of a story.

Cosplay has therefore become a very enjoyable way for enthusiasts to immerse themselves in their favourite stories and tales. It enjoyed exponential growth throughout the 1990s during which the phenomenon became influential within popular culture. It is most widespread across Asia where Cosplay has indeed become a way of life to many.

However it is western culture in which Cosplay is beginning to have a meteoric impact. With themes primarily based around science fiction and historical fantasies as opposed to animation, western Cosplayers often attempt to recreate characters from live-action series, whether it is Batman or Captain America.

At All Fancy Dress we are very aware of the impact Cosplay is having on overall trends within the marketplace. With the increasing popularity of Cosplay throughout Europe we are experiencing rapidly expanding product ranges in brands such as Batman and Marvel superheroes following the success of The Dark Knight Rises and The Avengers.

Initially popular in Japan, the imported Japanese anime Cosplay soon reached Europe and the United States and is subsequently a growing hobby throughout the world. We stock Geisha Girl and Samurai outfits inspired by Asian Cosplay itself.

Enthusiasts travel from miles on end to enjoy gatherings with fellow Cosplayers, showing off their outfits and competing in costume contests.

Many Cosplay conventions host contests for self-made outfits, during which contestants may choose to perform as their chosen character with accompanying audio or video and are then judged accordingly. However, we don’t all have the time to invest in creating our own life-like Cosplay outfits modelled on our favourite action heroes or sci-fi characters. That’s why authentic fancy dress can be so useful.

Fortunately our very own novelty Batman outfits are rather authentic and subsequently we have enjoyed a significant amount of interest in our officially licensed costumes since the release of The Dark Knight Rises. Our tailored Dark Knight Rises outfits include the unmistakable belt, cape and mask, giving Cosplayers all the ammunition possible to fight crime in Gotham City.

A lot of people in today’s world dream of becoming an action super hero when they are young, but they had no prospect of making this dream a reality. In this instance Cosplay fancy dress gives movie and action lovers the opportunity to dream again.

Whether it is to express adoration for a character or to immerse yourself in the creative process of recapturing that perfect cinematic moment, Cosplay is very much alive and kicking.

If you fancy getting into cosplay then contact the guys at allfancydress. They have a large selection of outfits and will be only too happy to help you customise your own…

Marc is a self-confessed nerd. Ever since seeing Star Wars for the first time around 1979 he’s been an unapologetic fan of the Wars and still believes, with Clone Wars and now Underworld, we are yet to see the best Star Wars.
He’s a dad of two who now doesn’t have the time (or money) to collect the amount of toys, comics, movies and books he once did, much to the relief of his long-suffering wife. In the real world he’s a graphic designer.
He started Following the Nerd because he was tired of searching a million sites every day for all the best news that he loves and decided to create one place where you can go to get the whole lot.
Secretly he longs to be sitting in the cockpit of his YT-1300 Corellian Transport ship with his co-pilot Chewie, roaming the universe, waiting for his next big adventure, but feels just at home watching cartoons with his kids….

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